Tsunamis are natural disasters that can kill thousands of people living in coastal regions. There are no current detection systems that can communicate with the various sensor buoys that are in use today. The automation industry has had major developments in the implementation of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) monitoring and control systems. A need has long existed for an integrated system, which uses small PC's to communicate with buoys.
The integration problems were rampant in the industry. Either, hosts were inadequate or defective. A unique enterprise server was developed to facilitate the integration of software.
A vital part of any system utilized for process control, data acquisition, or alarm detection and notification, is the initial communication and periodic point-to-point communication of the system, including the process input values, the database, the displays and the like. Such a communication procedure is associated with a SCADA system, which in its most generic definition is essentially a process control system. The components of a typical SCADA system comprise a SCADA device and one or more remotely connected Intelligent Electronic Devices. As used herein, the term SCADA device is used as convenient shorthand for what may be a collection of electronic equipment, including a computer based controller, which can be a server, also termed the “enterprise server” that is used to remotely monitor communication and/or control the operation of one or more remote buoys. In general, the enterprise server is located miles away from the buoy presenting many SCADA system communication difficulties. However, such a definition should not preclude an enterprise server being located much closer.
Communication for a SCADA system traditionally has been very time and labor intensive. The initial set up of the buoy required an expensive technician to go to the buoy at sea to configure the buoy. Subsequent maintenance communication has also been particularly time and labor intensive where the buoy is in an extremely remote location. In such a case, transportation and communication problems have been abundant. Therefore, reducing the time and effort required to run communication of a SCADA system while insuring that the SCADA device database and overall SCADA system operation meets the highest possible accuracy standards, which would provide substantial cost advantages over current communication procedures.
Traditionally, buoy configuration has involved assembling and transporting to the buoy location a collection of complex and expensive test equipment and signal generators that are required to produce the needed configuration. The configuration next required an expensive technician at the remote location to inject the data into the buoy inputs and a second expensive technician at the central location(s) to verify the buoy is processing correctly according to the new configuration.
Such a system presents many drawbacks. For example, two technicians at disparate locations are required to perform the service. Moreover, in most SCADA systems, the buoy must be disconnected from the process that the buoy is monitoring and/or controlling, which may affect the process under control.
A need exists for methods and apparatus that address the shortcomings of present communication of a SCADA system. A need has existed for an improved system that can communicate with buoys through different telemetry methods and that can talk to buoys from different countries and manufactures that utilize different protocols. A need has existed for a system, which works faster than traditional host systems.
The embodiments meet these needs.
The following terms are used herein. The term “SCADA” means Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems. The term “ARME” means the buoy configuration or maintenance tool for the SCADA system. ARME is an OPC Client that communicates through the AES that allows buoy's to be remotely reconfigured after deployment. OPC MESSENGER combines with AES to provide a data acquisition front-end for relational databases. The term “OPC MESSENGER” means The AutoSol Connection, which is a data acquisition front end connection for databases. The term “GEL” means Generic Encapsulation Layer.
The embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.